Love is a Shield
by Meghan Page
Summary: The reply sent a frisson of surprise through her; it was the low, rough rumble of Titus's voice. What was the fleimkepa doing in her bedroom, alone with Clarke, without her express permission? She pushed open the door, ready to confront the man, and caught sight of him across the room, raising a black, boxy object in his hand.
Lexa strode through the halls of her tower, her coat swishing behind her as she made her way from a council meeting. She had left Clarke in her room, and she wanted nothing more than to get back, to relax and just be near the sky girl.

Her pace slowed as she neared her quarters, noticing the crack in the wide wooden doors she had carefully closed upon leaving. She held up her fist, signaling her guards to stay back, and slowly made her way forward. As she approached, she heard the sound of voices issuing from inside the room. Lexa recognized the throaty alto of Clarke's voice, speaking softly but intently near the door.

The reply sent a frisson of surprise through her; it was the low, rough rumble of Titus's voice. What was the _fleimkepa_ doing in her bedroom, alone with Clarke, without her express permission?

She pushed open the door, ready to confront the man, and caught sight of him across the room, raising a black, boxy object in his hand.

"Clarke!" she cried, throwing herself to the right towards the girl just as the muzzle flashed.

Her left shoulder jerked with the impact of the bullet, spinning her as she fell with Clarke, landing all but on top of her.

The next few moments were a blur of voices and pounding footsteps as Lexa's guards burst through the doors, seizing Titus and rushing towards her. Lexa let out a ragged gasp as Clarke rolled from underneath her, her vision whiting out from the explosion of pain in her shoulder.

"Lexa!" Clarke called, panic lacing her voice as her hands fumbled at the bloody cloth of Lexa's shirt.

Lexa struggled to focus her vision, catching sight of blonde hair and wide, scared blue eyes.

She started to reach out to the sky girl, but a guard shouted, " _Teik Heda gon fisa!_ " and she found herself being lifted from the floor. She was immediately carried towards the door, each step the guard took sending pain lancing through her shoulder and forming stars in her vision.

The last thing Lexa saw as she left the room was Clarke's hand reaching towards her as she cried out, "Wait! Lexa!"

The door closed behind her, and everything went black.

The first thing Lexa noticed as she swam back towards consciousness was the soft, warm grasp of a hand around hers. Her fingers twitched, curling around the hold, and the hand's grip increased in return.

"Lexa," a tender, familiar husky voice rasped. "Can you open your eyes? Please, Lexa, open your eyes, look at me."

With far more effort than it should have taken, Lexa forced her eyes open, blinking to focus them in the flood of candlelight. Finally, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl swam into view, her hand wrapped around Lexa's right and her gaze trained on Lexa's face.

As Lexa's eyes fixed on her, Clarke let out a soft puff of breath, her mouth quirking into a small but watery smile. "You're awake."

Lexa let out a grunt as she tried to shift on her cot, Clarke's light but insistent touch stopping her. "Yes, it would appear I am," she said, her eyes skipping around the healing room. When she looked back at Clarke, she was surprised to see the girl's eyes brimming with tears.

"I thought you were going to die," Clarke whispered, fighting past a hitch in her throat. "I thought I was going to –"

She broke off with a hiccup, bringing her other hand up to clasp Lexa's.

Lexa squeezed back, attempting a wry grin. "I don't think Titus is a very good shot."

Clarke let out a short huff of laughter even as a tear spilled down her cheek. She shook her head, her eyes growing pained again. "Why did you do it?" she asked, her voice low and tight. "You're so stupid. Why did you do it?"

Lexa drew their hands onto her stomach, fixing Clarke with a piercing look.

"I had two very good reasons," she told the sky girl. "First, I am replaceable, and you are not."

Clarke shook her head, her shoulders slanting in displeasure. "Lexa, you are _not_ replaceable."

"I am," Lexa maintained. "If I had died, my spirit would have chosen a successor from the _Natblidas_."

Clarke sighed. "Don't you talk about anything other than your death?" she asked, a hint of humor in her voice.

Lexa smiled at the familiar question. "No."

A laugh escaped Clarke at Lexa's teasing. They smiled at each other for a moment until she asked, "And what's the second reason?"

Lexa turned her face away, a sudden blush coming over her cheeks. "I don't think you want to hear it right now," she whispered.

Clarke freed one of her hands to touch Lexa's arm. "Lexa," she murmured, causing Lexa to look back towards her. "Please." She wrapped her fingers around Lexa's bicep, lightly stroking the skin of her tattoo with her thumb. "Tell me."

Lexa looked down, swallowing heavily. "The second reason, is that…" She fidgeted with Clarke's hand on her stomach, her eyes darting everywhere but Clarke's face. "I…"

Clarke let go of Lexa's hand entirely, leaning forward to run her fingers along Lexa's collarbone, partially obscured with bandages. Lexa's eyes fluttered for a moment and she swallowed again.

"Clarke," she breathed, her eyes finally finding the other girl's, their green depths filled with a tender longing.

Clarke let out a small breath, realizing what it was that Lexa was trying to tell her. She moved her hand to Lexa's cheek, gently brushing aside a wayward curl there as she leaned up towards the girl's face.

Their eyes slid shut in unison as their lips touched, the kiss full of every unspoken feeling they had held back since Clarke arrived in Polis.

As she pulled back, Clarke paused for a second, brushing their noses together and sending a tiny shiver down Lexa's spine. When she finally opened her eyes, Lexa was met with softest, most beautiful smile she had ever seen on Clarke's face.

"And Lexa?" the sky girl whispered, her head still close to Lexa's.

"Yes, Clarke?" Lexa answered.

Clarke's smile only grew as she gave Lexa one more tiny peck. "I love you, too."

* * *

 _fleimkepa_ = flamekeeper (Titus's title)

 _Teik Heda gon fisa_ = Take the Commander to the healer

 _Natblidas_ = Nightbloods


End file.
